O Foxo

O Foxo do Lobo de Entre Cabezas is a medieval wolf trap hidden in the mountains above the village of Ardexaxe, within the municipality of Viana do Bolo in the province of Ourense, Galicia. It is one of only three known cross-shaped wolf traps in the world, making it a genuine rarity among the old hunting structures of the Iberian Peninsula.

How do you get there?

The trap sits in the mountainous part of the Viana do Bolo municipality, along the road linking the town with Vilariño de Conso. A signposted turnoff near the Ardexaxe and Fornelos de Filloás junction marks the start of a waymarked footpath leading straight to the site. The drive from central Viana do Bolo takes only a few minutes, and the walk itself is short and easy, requiring no special fitness. Information panels along the route explain the structure's purpose before you even reach it.

What will you see?

The trap has an unusual cross-shaped layout: four stone walls, each running for more than a hundred meters, converge toward the center like a funnel. At the meeting point lies a paved pit roughly three meters deep, where the chase would end. The walls were built using dry-stone technique, stacking large slate slabs without any mortar — a construction method typical of the mountain architecture found in this corner of Galicia. Only two other cross-shaped traps of this kind survive nearby, in Bande and Vilariño de Conso, suggesting the design was something of a local specialty along the Ourense highlands.

During the restoration, the site was fitted with sculptures of a hunter and a wolf, evoking the old hunts, along with panels explaining the trap's history and construction. Together these elements form a small open-air ethnographic site that visitors can explore on their own by following the marked path.

What is the history behind the hunts?

Wolf traps like this one were built in the Middle Ages to protect livestock from predators, a serious threat to mountain herding communities around Ourense. According to local oral tradition, once a month roughly two hundred men from the surrounding villages had to join a communal hunt: they would drive a wolf toward the trap, forcing it into the stone pit, where it was killed. The scale of this mandatory ritual shows how serious wolf attacks on cattle and sheep once were here.

Over time the structure fell into disrepair, until a full restoration was completed in October 2019. The project, costing around 40,000 euros, was funded by the local rural development group GDR Sil-Bibei-Navea and carried out under the archaeological direction of David Pérez. The work rebuilt the access path, reinforced the stone walls, and added the tourist infrastructure now in place.

When should you visit?

Given the mountain setting, the best time to visit runs from late spring through early autumn, when the weather is mild and the trail stays dry and easy to walk. Winters in this part of Ourense can bring snow and low temperatures, which may make the approach harder. It's worth pairing a visit with a stop in Viana do Bolo itself and its other mountain trails, since the area holds further traces of old highland settlement.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is O Foxo do Lobo? It is a historic stone wolf trap shaped like a cross, built in the Middle Ages to protect livestock from predators in the mountains above Viana do Bolo.

Why is this particular trap unusual? Its cross-shaped layout is known from only three sites worldwide — besides Entre Cabezas, the other two are in Bande and Vilariño de Conso, both also in Ourense province.

How did the traditional hunt work? Local tradition holds that once a month around two hundred men from nearby villages were required to join a communal drive, pushing a wolf toward the trap until it fell into the three-meter pit.

Is the site set up for visitors? Yes — since the 2019 restoration, a waymarked footpath leads to the trap, complete with information panels and sculptures referencing the old wolf hunts.